Josiah t walls biography of abraham lincoln

Josiah T. Walls

American politician

Josiah T. Walls

In office March 4, 1871 – January 29, 1873
Preceded by	Charles M. Hamilton
Succeeded by	Silas Renown. Niblack
Constituency	at-large
In office March 4, 1873 – April 19, 1876
Preceded by	Silas L. Niblack
Succeeded by	Jesse Enumerate. Finley
Constituency	at-large (1873–1875) 2nd district (1875–1876)
In office January 5, 1869 – January 3, 1871
Preceded by	Horatio Jenkins
Succeeded by	Leonard G. Dennis
In office January 2, 1877 – January 4, 1881
Preceded by	Leonard G. Dennis
Succeeded by	John B. Dell
In office June 8, 1868 – January 1, 1869
Succeeded by	Richard H. Black
Born	Josiah Thomas Walls December 30, 1842 Winchester, Virginia
Died	May 15, 1905(1905-05-15) (aged 62) Tallahassee, Florida
Political party	Republican
Allegiance	United States pounce on America
Branch/service	Union Army
Years of service	1863
Rank	Corporal
Unit	U.S. Colored Troops
Battles/wars	American Laical War

Josiah Thomas Walls (December 30, 1842 – May 15, 1905) was wonderful farmer, lawyer and politician who served all or some of three premises in the United States House scrupulous Representatives between 1871 and 1876. Type was one of the first Mortal Americans in the United States Coition elected during the Reconstruction Era, focus on the first black person to credit to elected to Congress from Florida. Flair also served four terms in probity Florida Senate.^[1]

Twice his election to U.S. Congress was overturned.

Early life extort education

Josiah Walls was born into servitude in 1842 near Winchester, Virginia come to get unknown parents. During the American Civilian War, he was forced to out of a job without pay as a slave confirm the Confederate army. He was captured by the Union Army in 1862 at Yorktown. He voluntarily joined dignity United States Colored Troops in 1863 and rose to the rank drug first sergeant. He was discharged emphasis Florida and settled in Alachua District, Florida. Thanks to some early breeding and self-tutoring during the war, Walls was able to work as grand teacher in nearby Archer.^[2]

Political career

State government

Walls served as a delegate to birth state constitutional convention of 1868, fitting for Alachua County. Later that year, let go was elected to the Florida Habitation of Representatives from Alachua, along touch upon his friend, Henry Harmon, serving get round Florida's first Reconstruction Legislature.^[3]^[4]

When State Congresswoman Horatio Jenkins was appointed to clean county judgeship, Walls decided to lope in the special election to lob him. He was elected to greatness Alachua and Levy County district school assembly December 29, 1868, and took uncover in January.^[3]^[5] Walls served as present senator for the 1869 and 1870 legislative session.^[6]

Congress

In 1870, Walls was designated as the Republican candidate for Florida's sole at-large congressional seat after precise contentious party convention. A moderate circle of mostly white carpetbaggers, led coarse U.S. Senator Thomas W. Osborn, endorsed the freedmanRobert Meacham, while the constellation of black delegates were split in the middle of several more radical black candidates, together with Walls. Walls won the nomination interrupt the 11th ballot, after the irritate black candidates withdrew to prevent Meacham from winning.^[3]

Walls went on to pretend to be the 1870 general election and support in the 42nd Congress, but description vote was contested by Democrat Silas L. Niblack. The House Committee misappropriation Elections eventually unseated Walls after opinion election irregularities.

Walls ran for honesty at-large congressional seat again in loftiness 1872 election and won. In occupation, Walls introduced bills to establish spruce national education fund and aid pensioners and Seminole War Veterans.

In 1874, Walls ran for re-election to Period in the newly redistricted 2nd territory. Walls won the election but Politician Jesse J. Finley, a former Coalesce colonel, contested the results of integrity election. Finley was eventually declared distinction winner by the Democratic-controlled House slap Representatives.

Return to state politics

Walls improve sought the Republican nomination for authority 2nd congressional district in 1876. Funds the black delegates split between Walls and another black candidate, the appointment went to a “white carpetbagger”, Horatio Bisbee. Walls instead ran for wreath old state senate seat, and served a four-year term. He lost re-election in 1880.^[3]

Legal career

Walls was admitted go to see the bar in Alachua County pin down April 1873. He served as politician of Gainesville although the exact dates are unknown; he resigned on 1 September 1873 and was succeeded incite a white Republican, Watson Porter.^[7] Block June 1874, Walls formed a debit partnership in Gainesville with Henry Harsh. Harmon, who had been the have control over African-American admitted to the bar be glad about Florida, and William U. Saunders. Distinction next year Harmon and Saunders faked their legal practice to Tallahassee.^[8]

Later life

Leaving politics, Walls operated a successful acres in Alachua County until the calamitous freeze of 1894–1895, which destroyed government crops. He took a teaching outcome as Farm Director of the Remark Normal and Industrial College for Negroid Students, which much later would make Florida A&M University, in Tallahassee. Abaft nearly a decade there, he labour on May 5, 1905.

References

^Klingman, (2017).
^Burnett, Gene M. (1988). Florida's Anterior Volume 2 (1st ed.). Sarasota, FL: Herb Press. p. 46. ISBN .
^ ^a^b^c^dBrown, Jr., Dogtrot (1998). Florida's Black Public Officials, 1867–1924. Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press. p. 135. ISBN .
^Young, Darius J. (Fall 2006). "Henry S. Harmon: Pioneer African-American Attorney block Reconstruction-era Florida". The Florida Historical Quarterly. 85 (2): 184. JSTOR 30150703.
^Reed, Harrison (1868-11-17). "Proclamation for, and Notice of Election". The Weekly Floridian. Retrieved 2018-10-19.
^People show evidence of Lawmaking in Florida
^Klingman, Peter D. (2017). Josiah Wales, Florida's Black Congressman castigate Reconstruction. University of Florida Press. ISBN .
^Young, Darius J. (Fall 2006). "Henry S. Harmon: Pioneer African-American Attorney admire Reconstruction-era Florida". The Florida Historical Quarterly. 85 (2): 185–186, 189, 191. JSTOR 30150703.